Aeroplane construction.



G. HA CURTISS.

AEHOPLANE CONSTRUCTIONI APPLICATION FILED 1AN.29. I9I.

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GLENN H. CURTISS, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO CURTISS AEROPI'AN AND MOTOR CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AEROPLANE CONSTRUCTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Original application led September 6, l1912, Serial No. 718,840. Divided and application led .Tune 4, 1913` Serial No. 771,646. Divided and application led J'une 7, 1915, Serial No. 32,654. Divided and this application led January 29, 1917. Serial No. 145,138.

T o all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, GLENN H. CURTISS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State. of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplane Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to aircraft and has reference more particularly to the various aeroplane features of an hydro-aero machine, or more properly a flying boat, disclosed in a parent application, S. N. 718,840, tiled Sept. 6th, 1912, and subsequently patented as Patent #1,085,575, granted Jan. 27, 1914. Since the filing of said parent application, divisional applications have been filed. Application S. N. 771,646, filed June 4, 1913, is a division of said parent case, application S. N. 32,654, filed June 7, 1915, a division of said divisional case, and the v present application, al division of application S. N. 32,654.

The characteristic features of the b-asic hydroaero-machine intended to be covered by the present application are both constructional and ornamental in their nature. The structural features may be generally described as comprising an improved supporting surface arrangement, an improved empennage arrangement, and an improved arrangement of the power plant and its bracing and supporting means. The ornamental features are apparent upon reference to the drawings, particularly Figure 1, wherein the ornamental lines of the hull are clearly portrayed. Other features such as the arrangement of the supporting surface braces and the variation in the span of the respective supporting surfaces are also intended to be covered herein.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the entire machine (partly broken away), and

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

The hull of the body of the craft, designated in its entirety by the numeral 10, 1s essentially pleasing to the eye and from a mechanical point lof view is intermediately equipped with supporting surfaces 11 and 12 which extend transversely across said body in lifting relation thereto. The upper supporting surface 11 from tip to tip is of greater length or span than the lower supporting surface 12. The planes or wings constituting said upper surface are arranged in substantially the same horizontal plane. The wings constituting the lower surface however, are arranged in intersecting planes or at a dihedral angle. This variation in the arrangement of the several planes makes for greater stability incident to flight. The termina-ls of the upper supporting surface 11, by reason of its greater length or span, overhang the terminals of the lower supporting surface 12 as indicated at 13. Thus the lifting efficiency of the upper surface is greater than that of the lower surface, and lateral stability, by reason of the overhung portions 13. further increased.

Moreover, the effective area of the upper surface ll, is,increascd by extending said surface rearwardly, as indicated at 13, in the vicinity of the respect-ive surface terminals. These rearwardly extending portions are acted on primarily by the laterally and rearwardly slipping air, escaping from beneath the surface 11 during fiight.

Wing posts 14 interconnect the surfaces- 11 and 12, the wingposts designated 14 defining the engine section of the craft. Said engine section is characterized by the support of the power plant, designated in its entirety by the numeral 15, intermediate the supporting surfaces with its center of massI in the approximate vertical plane of the fore and aft axis of the craft.

Engine bed beams 16 support the power plant above the hull. These beams 16 are in turn supported by braces or supports 17 erected on the lower supporting surface 12 to converge upwardly for termination at the engine bed. Braces 18 continue the supports 17 at an angle to the upper supporting surface 11. These braces 18, converge downwardly to vertically brace the engine bed. Lateral strains are transmitted from the power plant to the wing posts 14 which define the engine section by braces 19 disposed horizontally and in the plane of the engine bed.

The wing structure, in its entirety, and the power plant, are braced laterally inwardly from a point. at the foot of the wing posts 14 and braces 17 to the sides of the hull or body 10 by diagonally extending laterally considerably therebeyond. Said wings may be described as anchored to and upon the top surface of the hull, although it is-'suiicient that they be attached directly to the hull at a safe operating distance above the water.

The empennage of the craft comprises the 'usual vertical stabilizer 21, horizontal stabilitzerl 22, rudder 23 and elevator flaps 24; thel'two stabilizers, and the rudder andthe eletator flaps intersecting. The vertical stabilizer 21 is erected upon the hull l0 and the horizontal stabilizer arranged considerably abeve the hull'te intersect said vertical stabilizer in the plane of the elevator flaps 24.' This arrangement of the horizontal stabilizer above the hull is conducive to increased ef-l fective stabilizing surface. Moreover, the horizontals'tabilizer is thus sufficiently vertically removed from the surface of the lwater-to prevent it from coming in contact with the water or with flying spray under all operating` conditions.

Forwardly of the supporting surfaces 11 and 12, the hull is equipped with a cockpit 25 within which the aviators or pilots seat 26 is disposed. For convenience in operation a cranking device 27 is located in such proximity to the seat 26 as to permit operation of said cranking device conveniently from the cockpit 25.

Such parts of' the craft as the propeller 28, control mechanism 29, wing pontoons 30 and ailerons '31 are detailed and claimed in said pending applications.

While I have described my invention in detail in its present preferred embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art after understanding my invention, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.- I aim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes.

What is claimed is:

1. In a flying boat, the cc'nbination of a hull adapted to support the structure by displacement when at rest upon the water, suprectly to the hull structure, said hull at the Apoint of attachment of the wings thereto extending a sufficient height above the water to support the inner ends of the wings 'at` a safe operating distance from the water at all stages of operation of the boat, a propelling power plant mounted above the hull likewise nearer its forward end than its rear end, and a horizontal stabilizer vertically spaced above the tail end of the hull, a saf operating distance from the water. y 2. In a flying boat, the combination ofI a hull adapted to support the structure by displacement when at rest upon the water, supporting surfaces extending out laterally qfrom the hull, the inner ends of said wings being secured directly to the hull structure, said hull at the point of attachment of the wings thereto extending a sufficient height above the water to support the inner ends of said wings at a safe operating distance above the water, a power unit mounted above the hull structure, supports extending afngularly upwardly from the lower supporting l vconstituting said surfaces being secured din surface to supportthe power unit in its elehull adapted to support the structure by displacement when at rest upon the water, supporting surfaces extendino` out laterally from the hull, a vertical stabilizing surface attached directly to the tail end of the hull, and a horizontal stabilizing surface mounted to intersect the plane of the vertical stabilizing surface above the tail end of the h'ull and sufficiently removed from it to space the .horizontal stabilizer a safe operating dis# tance above the water linel when the boat is at rest upon the water.

In testimony whereof I alixmy signature. 

